Bad news on poverty

The government’s anti-poverty drive has faltered:

“Relative poverty has risen across the whole population for the first time since Labour came to power, with child poverty also rising for the first time in six years…
“Poverty has probably risen in part because benefit and tax credit payments for some of the groups most vulnerable to poverty were increased less quickly than average incomes in 2005/06, in marked contrast to the relative generosity of the previous five years.
…
“However, child poverty remains much lower than the level Labour inherited in 1996/97.”

If you feel so inclined, you could sign this:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to fulfil his promise to halve child poverty by 2010 and end child poverty in the UK within a generation.”